I realized that I should post here some of the ones I posted on Notes (for anyone else reading the comments)
Laurie Anderson -- "O Superman" (completely blew my mind when I first heard it. It sounds just slightly dated now, but still one of my favorite songs ever): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkfpi2H8tOE
Maceo Parker -- "Shake Everything You've Got" (I think it says something that they chose this 16 minute track as the opener for his live album. It definitely sets the mood): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzQ9y4RfXg4
Gordon Bok's song/folktale "Peter Kagen and the Wind" is a wonderful story about a man who marries a selkie. I loved it as a child, and still do -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9planvkPzI
In the liner notes Maggie Holland and John Tobler offer a summary of the plot: "By common consent, the finest piece on the album is Famous Flower of Serving Men. The plot (brace yourself!): a mother sends violent thugs to her daughter’s house to kill her husband and baby. The young woman digs their graves, buries them, dries her tears, cuts off her hair and dresses herself as a man. She goes to work at the King’s court, where the King falls in love with her although he thinks she is a man, so he makes her his chamberlain. The King goes hunting one day and is led deep into the forest, to the site of the graves, by a magical white hind. He is visited by a white dove who is the spirit of the murdered husband and tells him the whole story, whereupon the King rides home, swearing vengeance on the mother, and sweeps the Famous Flower of Serving Men into his arms, and has the mother taken prisoner and burned at the stake. No mention of happy ever afters. The song is utterly compelling, with its complex but hypnotic rhythm and the vivid images it inspires: “They left me naught to dig his grave but the bloody sword that slew my babe”—it could easily be the substance of a full length opera, a film, a classical ballet, and Shakespeare could have made a major play out of it. . . .
I didn't know Mother Love Bone or Enuff Z'Nuff and both of those songs are great, especially the guitar work. Def Leppard is one of my favorite bands, and Joe Walsh is always good.
About song length, if you go back in time most songs were three minutes or so in the early 60s and that changed with the arrival of FM radio willing to play longer tracks. Looks like we've circled back to the beginning!
That Ireland experiment is interesting. Had no idea.
Gosh Chris,
What a song
RIP Andy Wood
Right? Just amazing.
Thanks for listening
For sure, saving grace.
I realized that I should post here some of the ones I posted on Notes (for anyone else reading the comments)
Laurie Anderson -- "O Superman" (completely blew my mind when I first heard it. It sounds just slightly dated now, but still one of my favorite songs ever): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkfpi2H8tOE
Maceo Parker -- "Shake Everything You've Got" (I think it says something that they chose this 16 minute track as the opener for his live album. It definitely sets the mood): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzQ9y4RfXg4
I just wrote about Grace Jones, and her 8 minute version of "Love Is The Drug" is just great: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZlaPO8YQwo
Also, two longer folk songs:
Gordon Bok's song/folktale "Peter Kagen and the Wind" is a wonderful story about a man who marries a selkie. I loved it as a child, and still do -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9planvkPzI
Looking it up I found this remarkable review from Rolling Stone: https://dc.library.northwestern.edu/items/ce0bdb7a-593d-4c7c-9f2a-6ee44ab49bca
Martin Carthy's "Famous Flower Of Serving Men" is a remarkable tour de force of what he can do with just voice and guitar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK2QK8Y6qGw
In the liner notes Maggie Holland and John Tobler offer a summary of the plot: "By common consent, the finest piece on the album is Famous Flower of Serving Men. The plot (brace yourself!): a mother sends violent thugs to her daughter’s house to kill her husband and baby. The young woman digs their graves, buries them, dries her tears, cuts off her hair and dresses herself as a man. She goes to work at the King’s court, where the King falls in love with her although he thinks she is a man, so he makes her his chamberlain. The King goes hunting one day and is led deep into the forest, to the site of the graves, by a magical white hind. He is visited by a white dove who is the spirit of the murdered husband and tells him the whole story, whereupon the King rides home, swearing vengeance on the mother, and sweeps the Famous Flower of Serving Men into his arms, and has the mother taken prisoner and burned at the stake. No mention of happy ever afters. The song is utterly compelling, with its complex but hypnotic rhythm and the vivid images it inspires: “They left me naught to dig his grave but the bloody sword that slew my babe”—it could easily be the substance of a full length opera, a film, a classical ballet, and Shakespeare could have made a major play out of it. . . .
I remembered a classic which I don't think has been mentioned:
Arlo Guthrie "Alice's Restaurant"
That is a classic long song. And Thanksgiving tradition on radio. Thank you
Great column, love the UT quote!
I love dropping a long song into a mixtape....some recent faves, over 6 mins:
Intro/Sweet Jane (Live) by Lou Reed
Cortez the Killer, Neil Young
Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands, Bob Dylan
All I Want is You, U2
The Assignment Sequence, Nina Simone
Word of Mouth, Shakey Graves
Mrs. Potters Lullaby, Counting Crows
Elvis Presly and America, U2
Every Picture Tells a Story, Rod Stewart (technically it 5:59).
Rule breaker. 5:59! I like it.
🤣😂🤣
One I thought of which ended up being just under 6 minutes (5:55) was Patti Smith's "Gloria"
I didn't know Mother Love Bone or Enuff Z'Nuff and both of those songs are great, especially the guitar work. Def Leppard is one of my favorite bands, and Joe Walsh is always good.
About song length, if you go back in time most songs were three minutes or so in the early 60s and that changed with the arrival of FM radio willing to play longer tracks. Looks like we've circled back to the beginning!
That Ireland experiment is interesting. Had no idea.
I know 3:30 is a magic number. And especially in the beginning of recorded work you could only fit around 5 minutes.
Also yes. Life is a circle. Thank you for reading and listening. Truly appreciated 🤘🎸👊
My two favorite "long" songs:
Paradise By the Dashboard Lights - Meat Loaf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C11MzbEcHlw
Scenes from an Italian Restaurant - Billy Joel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izzM9LXqP-U
Paradise is mine too! Love the Billy Joel song as well.
Holy balls! What a post. I definitely don’t need to write anything further. Just a brilliant read. Thank you! 🤘🎸👊
Thanks for reading it and for those kind words. It helps that it was such a wild story. You can't make this stuff up!
Thanks for sharing!!! Another story in a long line (circle) of stories that prove that no one knows nothing. (And everything!)
Yes 2 great long songs.
Paradise will be written about.
I look forward to your take, Chris! I wrote the story behind the song in my Todd Rundgren series (as producer) -- https://rocknrollwithme.substack.com/p/bat-out-of-hell-by-meat-loaf-and
That’s awesome! I might not need to write about it. I may just post yours.
Can’t wait to read it!
I was just listening to Yes "Tales of a Topographic Ocean" today!
I love Dream Theater, so "Nightmare to Remember" and "Forsaken" (a relatively brief-for-them encounter with a vampire) come to mind.
Transatlantic has the epic "Suite Charlotte Pike" going for it, too.
Yes does long - quite well. And Dream Theater are so technically sound. Amazing.
Some more long songs in my playlist:
- Lochloosa (live) by JJ Grey & Mofro. Long intro, but then the song is still almost 8 great minutes long | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhKcF2z_FCw
- Cortez The Killer in a live version by Grace Potter & Joe Satriani (6:30) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paeNnR33i5Q
- The Lily by Layla Zoe (9:30) - maybe a bit too slow to drive home with, but oh so beautiful | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbokLnKNkk0
- Canada by Belgian singer-songwriter Milow (8:30) - great performer, great voice! | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcnmJT_xHO8
Cortez the Killer is my immediate reaction to the prompt, name a great long song.
Yes. Epic
Grace is brilliant. More is fun. Layla’s new. Will listen. Thanks
Just posted this one today :-) Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers with 'It's Good To Be King'. Over 12 minutes and I like every minute of it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1agoNeZRo_k
So good. Great stretched out live track.
When in doubt Tom Petty.